To Have and To Hold
by Cameron Maroe
Summary: Cloud and Tifa have known each other since they were babies, their mothers have been friends even longer. Tifa's mother becomes sick, and does not have long to live...her last reqeust? To see Tifa marry Cloud.. Cloti.


To Have and to Hold.

Summary: Cloud and Tifa have known each other since they were babies, their mothers have been friends even longer. Tifa's mother becomes sick, and does not have long to live...her last reqeust? To see Tifa marry Cloud.. Cloti.

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-Prologue-

_Ten years ago..._

nine year old Cloud Strife was an independent boy, proud, at times cold, always shy and hesitant to talk about how he felt, and most importantly; he was always protective of his loved ones. He was most protective of his mother, who was single,he hated it when she went out on dates with men. Annoying guys who always disregarded Cloud every time he was in the same room as his mom and them, why'd she have to go and date them? They were nothing like his real daddy, not one bit!.

Cloud no longer had a father, he had died two years ago; Cloud did not know how his daddy died, but he remembered how great he was. Strong, brave, courageous, and protective. Cloud had decided long ago that he would be just like his dad, in every way, and protect everyone he cared about. Just like his dad used to do.

Cloud knew that he was just as brave as his dad was, unlike the other boys who lived on his block, he was not afraid to walk to the grocery store by himself. It was not far, the market was only two miles away from his house, it usually took thirty minutes to get to the store. That would be if you went around, Cloud did not. Cloud always took the shortcut through the park.

At the moment, he was walking through that very park, Cloud was en route to pick up some groceries for his aunt Rin, she was not really his aunt, his momma just told him she was because Rin and Cloud's mom were best friends. Rin had known his mother for ten years, they had gone to school together, Rin was also his god mother, her husband was Cloud's god father. His godparents had only one child, her name was Tifa, and today was her birthday.

Tifa was going to be eight today, so in honor of their daughter, the Lockharts had decided on throwing her a big birthday bash. Inviting many neighborhood children and school mates of the young girl, Cloud was not very popular, so he was kind of envious of Tifa for being able to have that many people attend her birthday party. Every year, when his mother through him a party, Cloud would always just have his best friend Zack come over, Tifa, and Tifa's parents, that would be the entire party.

Cloud was not big on huge parties, so he never complained about how so empty his house was on his birthday.

Reaching into his pocket, Cloud took out a list. The brand names of Cookies, muffins,chips and six different kinds of fruit drinks were scribbled down on the lined piece of paper. Rin had given him a large amount of Gil to spend on these snacks, so paying for them would be no problem, all he had to do was hurry down to the market and come back home. Simple enough.

After purchasing his items, Cloud headed out of the market and again made his way through the park, he was walking maybe fifteen minutes when he heard someone sniffling. Every the curious child, Cloud set his aunts groceries down on a nearby bench and looked around him, no one was around, at least no one visible.

He heard a cough, and again the crying continued. Looking shraply to his right, Cloud realized that those sounds were coming from a very untrimmed schrub that was planted right by the bench. The young blond got down on his knees and crawled towards the plant and separated the large branches, he saw a girl. Brunette with shoulder length hair, Cloud shook his head.

"What are you doing here Tifa?" Cloud questioned the birthday girl, what was she doing out here in the park? She had a big party at home, why wasn't she there playing with all those kids?.

"C-Cloud?" Tifa asked after a long pause, she wiped at her eyes with both of her small hands, she was wearing a long sleeve so the tears that slid down her cheeks did not smear messily. Crawling to her side, all while being scratched by the shrubs branches, Cloud sighed and sat down next to her.

"Aunt Rin is going to get mad at you, your not supposed to leave the party" Cloud went on "After all you are a girl, and evil people like kidnapping girls" Cloud added, Tifa glared at him, her right hand was covering her cheek.

"They like kidnapping boys too stupid" Tifa retorted, her tone quaky.

"nu uh"

"Yeah huh"

"well even if someone tried to kidnap me, I'd beat them up" Cloud stated, crossing his arms and point his chin up high "I'm just as strong as my dad, I can take on anyone". Tifa said nothing, she only stared at him, bringing up her knees to her chest, Tifa rested her chin on them and frowned.

"I want to be strong...I never will be though...ism a girl" Tifa choked, Cloud stared at her, confused. What did she mean by that? It was then that cloud saw the color on the right side her face, her cheek was swollen and red.

"Tifa...what happened to your face?" Cloud asked her, Tifa put her hand on her cheek, another tear fell from her eyes.

"A girl hit me, she said that I was stupid and that i didn't deserve a birthday party" Tifa began to cry "I didn't want her to hit me again so I ran away from her..." Tifa sobbed and buried her face in her small hands.

Cloud's eyes went wide at first, his eyebrows high and showing bewilderment; Than they scrunch together, making Cloud form a glare. Why would anyone hit Tifa? It was her birthday! If you asked Cloud, it was the other girl who was stupid, and not Tifa.

"Well she's wrong! She's dumb, Lets go back to the party and tell my mom, she'll tell aunt Rin and that girl won't get cake" Cloud urged Tifa to tattle on that girl, Tifa shook her head.

"She has a big brother, she said he'd beat me up if I told" Tifa bit down on her lip, Cloud was unnerved.

"Well I won't let em" Cloud crossed his arms "I'll protect you"

Tifa looked up at him, her eyes hopeful.

"You will?" Tifa asked, Cloud nodded.

"Uh huh, were friends, that's what friends do" Cloud uncrossed his arms and turned around and separated the schrub branches "We gotta go, Aunt Rin's waiting for the snacks...you go first" Cloud instructed Tifa, he moved the branches far enough so that Tifa would not be scratched, nodding, Tifa made her way out and stood there waiting for Cloud.

Cloud was scathed by the branches, he got a big cut on his arm, Tifa had pointed at it and gasped.

"You got hurt" Tifa said worriedly.

"I know" Cloud covered the cut with his hand "It doesn't hurt though" it did.

"Cloud..." Tifa frowned, she knew he was lying, reaching into her pant pocket, Tifa took out a large stickered bandage "I always have one, I fall down alot" Tifa unwrapped the bandage from its paper cover and place it over the cut.

"Thanks" Cloud said to Tifa, and smiled at her, his moth was closed,so it was only his lips that formed the smile,.

"Your welcome" Tifa smiled,her eyes closed cutely as she did so. Cloud picked up the bags of groceries, there were only two of them. He gave the lighter weighing one to Tifa.

"You don't come out to the park a lot, so hold my hand you might get lost" Cloud reached over and grabbed Tifa's hand, she was not familiar with the park, and Tifa was the type that would wander about when you were not watching her.

"Okay" Tifa replied,Cloud began leading her out of the park and back to their houses that resided across from one another.

_We are now reaching the Edge central bus station, please make sure to empty the compartments above your seat._

The bus driver said into the walkie talkie like microphone, and Cloud woke up with a sudden jerk. Now Nineteen years old, Cloud was coming home from Wu Tai. He had been going to school there for past two years.

He was going to visit his mother and godparents, who still resided right across from one another. Apparently something big was going to happen at the house, Cloud was unsure of what it was, but came back to Edge on his mothers insistence.

He wondered what it was.

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My name is Cammy, I'm a first time writer, please let me know if I'm doing okay. I hope you all enjoyed the prologue by the way!. I will be updating with the 1st chapter very soon. 


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